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Potentilla brevifolia

short-leaf cinquefoil, sparse-leaf cinquefoil

common cinquefoil, old-field cinquefoil, old-field five-fingers, potentille simple, simple cinquefoil

Stems

initially erect to ascending to 5 dm, then arching above ground-level, becoming prostrate, flagelliform, not branched, rooting at distal nodes, (0.5–)1.5–12 dm.

Basal leaves

petiole 1–4 cm, eglandular hairs absent or sparse, spreading, less than 1 mm, weak, glands abundant.

persistent or ephemeral, usually palmate, 3.5–20 cm;

petiole 1–15 cm, long hairs ± abundant, appressed to spreading, (0.5–)1–3 mm, weak to ± stiff, glands absent or sparse, sometimes common;

leaflets 5(–7), central narrowly elliptic to obovate, 1.5–5 × 0.5–2.5 cm, distal 1/2–3/4 of margin incised 1/4–1/3 to midvein, teeth 4–8(–13) per side, surfaces similar to ± dissimilar, abaxial green to silvery white, sparsely to abundantly hairy, adaxial green, glabrate or sparsely to moderately hairy.

Cauline leaves

(0–)1 proximal to 1st flowering node, well expanded at anthesis, usually palmate, 2.5–6(–9) cm;

petiole 0–2(–4) cm;

leaflets (3–)5, often more elongate than those of basal leaves, ± elliptic to oblanceolate, sometimes obovate, 1.5–6(–7.5) × 0.5–2(–3) cm, apex acute to obtuse.

Inflorescences

solitary flowers at stolon nodes.

Pedicels

1–5(–8.5) cm.

Flowers

epicalyx bractlets lanceolate-elliptic to ovate, 2–4 × 0.8–2 mm;

sepals 3–5(–7) mm, apex broadly acute to obtuse;

petals 3.5–6.5 × 3–5 mm;

filaments 1–2.5 mm, anthers 0.5–0.6 mm;

carpels 10–15.

5(–6)-merous;

epicalyx bractlets linear to narrowly lanceolate, 2–5 × 1–1.5(–2) mm, often larger than sepals (especially in bud);

hypanthium 3–5 mm diam.;

sepals 4–6 mm, apex broadly acute;

petals 4–7 × 3–6 mm, apex rounded to ± retuse;

stamens ca. 20, filaments 0.5–2 mm, anthers 0.6–1 mm;

carpels 20–50, styles 0.8–1.5 mm.

Achenes

1–1.5 mm.

0.9–1.2 mm, faintly rugose.

Rootstocks

horizontal, irregularly thickened or moniliform, 1–8 cm.

Potentilla brevifolia

Potentilla simplex

Phenology Flowering summer. Flowering (Mar–)Apr–Jul(–Aug).
Habitat Moist rocky slopes and talus, alpine grassy areas, subalpine conifer woodlands Dry or infrequently moist flats and slopes in pastures, dry meadows, roadsides, old fields, edges of mixed oak and conifer woodlands, often on acidic soil
Elevation 2500–3600 m (8200–11800 ft) 0–800 m (0–2600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
ID; MT; NV; OR; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; CT; DC; DE; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; NC; NE; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OK; PA; RI; SC; TN; TX; VA; VT; WI; WV; NB; NF; NS; ON; PE; QC; SPM
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Potentilla brevifolia is found mainly in alpine situations in the Pioneer, Sawtooth, Smoky, and White Cloud mountains of central Idaho; the Madison Range of western Montana; the Jarbidge Range of northeastern Nevada; the Blue, Steens, and Wallowa mountains of eastern Oregon; and the Teton Range of northwestern Wyoming. The elongate caudices are easily covered by moving soil and talus.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

The distinction between Potentilla simplex and P. canadensis is subtle, and the former is often misidentified as the latter; additional features to distinguish the two species are provided by M. L. Fernald (1931).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 9, p. 188. FNA vol. 9, p. 134.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Brevifoliae Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Potentilla
Sibling taxa
P. albiflora, P. ambigens, P. anachoretica, P. angelliae, P. anglica, P. anserina, P. arenosa, P. argentea, P. arizonica, P. basaltica, P. bicrenata, P. biennis, P. biflora, P. bimundorum, P. bipinnatifida, P. breweri, P. bruceae, P. brunnescens, P. canadensis, P. concinna, P. cottamii, P. crantzii, P. crebridens, P. crinita, P. cristae, P. demotica, P. drummondii, P. effusa, P. elegans, P. erecta, P. flabellifolia, P. fragiformis, P. furcata, P. glaucophylla, P. gracilis, P. grayi, P. hickmanii, P. hippiana, P. holmgrenii, P. hookeriana, P. hyparctica, P. inclinata, P. intermedia, P. jepsonii, P. johnstonii, P. lasiodonta, P. litoralis, P. macounii, P. millefolia, P. modesta, P. morefieldii, P. multijuga, P. multisecta, P. nana, P. newberryi, P. nivea, P. norvegica, P. ovina, P. paucijuga, P. pedersenii, P. pensylvanica, P. plattensis, P. pseudosericea, P. pulchella, P. pulcherrima, P. recta, P. reptans, P. rhyolitica, P. rimicola, P. rivalis, P. robbinsiana, P. rubella, P. rubricaulis, P. sanguinea, P. saximontana, P. sierrae-blancae, P. simplex, P. sterilis, P. stipularis, P. subgorodkovii, P. subjuga, P. subvahliana, P. subviscosa, P. supina, P. thurberi, P. thuringiaca, P. tikhomirovii, P. townsendii, P. uliginosa, P. uschakovii, P. vahliana, P. verna, P. versicolor, P. villosa, P. villosula, P. vulcanicola, P. wheeleri
P. albiflora, P. ambigens, P. anachoretica, P. angelliae, P. anglica, P. anserina, P. arenosa, P. argentea, P. arizonica, P. basaltica, P. bicrenata, P. biennis, P. biflora, P. bimundorum, P. bipinnatifida, P. brevifolia, P. breweri, P. bruceae, P. brunnescens, P. canadensis, P. concinna, P. cottamii, P. crantzii, P. crebridens, P. crinita, P. cristae, P. demotica, P. drummondii, P. effusa, P. elegans, P. erecta, P. flabellifolia, P. fragiformis, P. furcata, P. glaucophylla, P. gracilis, P. grayi, P. hickmanii, P. hippiana, P. holmgrenii, P. hookeriana, P. hyparctica, P. inclinata, P. intermedia, P. jepsonii, P. johnstonii, P. lasiodonta, P. litoralis, P. macounii, P. millefolia, P. modesta, P. morefieldii, P. multijuga, P. multisecta, P. nana, P. newberryi, P. nivea, P. norvegica, P. ovina, P. paucijuga, P. pedersenii, P. pensylvanica, P. plattensis, P. pseudosericea, P. pulchella, P. pulcherrima, P. recta, P. reptans, P. rhyolitica, P. rimicola, P. rivalis, P. robbinsiana, P. rubella, P. rubricaulis, P. sanguinea, P. saximontana, P. sierrae-blancae, P. sterilis, P. stipularis, P. subgorodkovii, P. subjuga, P. subvahliana, P. subviscosa, P. supina, P. thurberi, P. thuringiaca, P. tikhomirovii, P. townsendii, P. uliginosa, P. uschakovii, P. vahliana, P. verna, P. versicolor, P. villosa, P. villosula, P. vulcanicola, P. wheeleri
Synonyms P. canadensis var. simplex, P. simplex var. argyrisma, P. simplex var. calvescens
Name authority Nuttall: in J. Torrey and A. Gray, Fl. N. Amer. 1: 442. (1840) Michaux: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 1: 303. (1803)
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